One-on-One: TEST Founder & CEO Brian Martin Talks Off-season Training, Recruiting Clients and JaMarcus Russell

Earlier this afternoon I had the chance to speak with TEST founder and CEO Brian Martin over the phone.

Martin, a former player at Bloomsburg University and the University of Delaware, founded the TEST Football Academy in 1992 and has 20 years of sports performance experience under his belt. Over the years, Martin has formed a very strong TEST staff of trainers, coaches and players, including former players such as Jeff Garcia, Donnie Edwards, Marshall Faulk, Chad Pennington, Cornelius Bennett, Keith Byars, Errict Rhett and Will Shields among others.

TEST, which stands for Total Energy System Training, also has numerous locations across the country, including New Jersey, San Diego and Miami and works with youth football, high school football, draft prospects and current NFL players on off-season training from coast-to-coast.

In addition to keeping players in tip-top shape in terms of physical strength and speed, TEST also provides physical therapy with the help of hired trainers and even media preparation for potential NFL draft picks.

We took the time to speak with Martin to get a better feel for what he has done with the program, what he thinks of this year's draft, and he even gave us an update on JaMarcus Russell's NFL comeback attempt:

All-Out Blitz: How did you get started and what gave you the idea for the academy?

Brian Martin, TEST: I started doing sports performance and off-season training, and worked with quarterback Neil O'Donnell. A couple years later I got into combine training when it started becoming a bigger deal. There wasn't really a lot of options for year-round training and there was a definite need for it.

AOB: When did you add youth and high school football into your program?

BM: Well I coached youth football in the early '90s, but I would say it started around 2000 when we opened a facility in Martinsville, NJ. Youth coaches and teams started coming to us for 40-yard dash and position drills.

AOB: What is your biggest priority when it comes to training and preparing your players?

BM: Our biggest priority is to work on keeping players healthy and working on flexibility. Making sure the guys are stable and healthy. Next I think is speed training, getting players as fast as they can be. Also strength training and working on position drills.

AOB: Who are some of your biggest clients and how do you recruit players?

BM: Our biggest client is this past season's Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. Also top five pick and 2-time Pro Bowler Patrick Peterson, Ryan Clady and current free agent linebacker Bart Scott. We work with a lot of high-level guys and are currently working with over 200 players.

In terms of recruiting, we have great relationships with agents, meet with families and universities and also word of mouth. Word gets out and coaches and players come to us.

AOB: Speaking of Flacco, what did you find most impressive about his 2012 Super Bowl run?

BM: His efficiency and intellect. He made great decisions and was able to lead his team. I think his 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions during the postseason speaks for itself. He was very smart with the ball and was able to overcome the adversity he faced in the postseason game against the Broncos.

AOB: You also provide media training for clients. How do you prepare players for dealing with the media?

BM: Well we bring in Dr. Robert Price who works with the players. He works on preparation and the interview process with players. Not everything these players face during their careers is going to be positive, so we prepare them for everything. We try to zero in on high character guys, but everyone makes mistakes so we make sure they are ready for anything when it comes to dealing with the media.

Some players are camera shy, so we stick them in front of the camera and help them with facing the media so that they are prepared for it.

AOB: You and your staff have been training former No. 1 overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell (pictured above, left, training with former NFL QB Jeff Garcia) as he attempts to make a comeback to the NFL. What do you think of his progress thus far, and do you think he will get a shot with an NFL team this season?

BM: Yes, his progress has been tremendous. He's lost 30 pounds over the last eight weeks and he's certainly matured a lot over the past few years. He's been out of the league for a couple years and he hadn't really worked out much during that time, so we're just trying to get him flexible and back in great physical shape.

He's older and wiser, and I think he's learned from his mistakes. He's on a mission to get back on the field and he's close to start working out for teams in the next 15-30 days. Since this year's QB draft class isn't that strong, I think teams should give him a long, hard look and he should be on a roster pretty soon here.

AOB: Like you just said, scouts have claimed that this year's QB draft class isn't very strong. They even claim it could be the weakest in over a decade. Would you agree or disagree with that statement?

BM: Yes, I would agree with it. There are a lot of question marks surrounding these quarterbacks, especially with Matt Barkley getting hurt last season. There isn't really a bonafide, blue chip quarterback out there. They do have potential though, and we're actually training a couple of quarterbacks that could go in the late rounds of the draft that I think are right up there with the other guys in terms of potential. So we'll see what happens.

AOB: Who do you think the Chiefs should select with the No. 1 overall pick?

BM: I think Luke Joeckel (Texas A&M offensive tackle) is the most game-ready, and the Chiefs could use some help up front. It'll probably be between him and Eric Fisher (Central Michigan offensive tackle), but they could also use a top pass rusher. Dion Jordan (Oregon defensive end) is another option for the Chiefs to go with.

AOB: Thank you very much for your time, Mr. Martin, and good luck this off-season.

- - - - -

For more information on the TEST Football Academy and the clients/coaches of the academy, you may visit their website at testfootballacademy.com.

Note: We do not own the above images. No copyright infringement intended.
*Top photo belongs to TEST Football Academy's website
*Bottom photo (JaMarcus Russell w/ Jeff Garcia) belongs to usatoday.com

Joe Flacco's New Contract: Could this Lead to a Mega-Deal for Rodgers?

If there's one thing we've learned from Joe Flacco's new contract, it's that in order to get a big-time payday all you gotta do is say you're 'the best.'

Friday afternoon the Baltimore Ravens and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Flacco agreed on a new, six-year contract which is reportedly worth $120.6 million. The contract is not likely to be fully complete until this evening or Monday morning, and Flacco will be in Baltimore to sign it on Monday. But the basics of the contract have been reported by FOX Sports' Jay Glazer and ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The new deal will make the five-year pro the highest paid player in league history, surpassing Drew Brees' $120 million contract with the Saints.

The deal comes following a Super Bowl run in which Flacco played nearly flawless football in his three postseason games and the Super Bowl, throwing for 11 TDs and zero INTs in wins over the Colts, Broncos, Patriots and 49ers. The 28-year old has never made a Pro Bowl appearance or been named to an All Pro team, but he's the only quarterback to win a postseason game in each of his first five years and holds the record for most road postseason wins (6).

The numbers show us that Flacco has been just above average in his first four seasons in the league, and was never able to get over the hump until this season. But luckily for him the timing was right. He managed to back the Ravens into the playoffs but got hot at the perfect time.

Now, instead of giving him Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady-type money, the Ravens were forced into making Flacco the highest-paid quarterback. Certainly this will keep Joe happy for the next six years, but will the Ravens end up regretting this decision? It's likely. I'd expect the contract to be restructured to benefit the Ravens after two or three years.

Despite the money being thrown at Flacco, it's still possible that the Ravens will be able to retain key defensive pieces such as Paul Kruger, Dannell Ellerbe and Ed Reed depending on how the contract is structured.

This contract has taught us a lot: 1) timing is everything 2) Baltimore is fully invested in their franchise quarterback 3) Aaron Rodgers needs a better contract.

I don't expect Flacco to hold the "highest paid quarterback" title for very long. Green Bay Packers signal caller has two years left on his contract and we can expect he'd receive an extension before it expires. In 2013, Rodgers is due $9.25 million and $10.5 million in 2014. When compared to Flacco's new deal, Rodgers is highly underpaid with his current contract. Don't be surprised if Aaron uses Joe as leverage in negotiating an extension.

Either way, fellow quarterbacks need to take notice. Perhaps this summer we will hear more NFL quarterbacks come out and reiterate Flacco's now infamous words: "I think I am the best QB in football."

Note: We do not own the above images. No copyright infringement intended.

AFC Championship is Anyone's Game at this Point

The AFC North division champion Baltimore Ravens are heading to Foxboro, Mass. this Sunday to face the No. 1 seeded New England Patriots for a chance to play in the Super Bowl in Indianapolis in February.

Baltimore's stingy defense helped them overcome the Houston Texans' hard-hitting defense and its five sacks of quarterback Joe Flacco, who was also hit on six additional plays and had seven passes defensed against Houston's fourth-ranked overall defense.

Flacco has been a bit of a disappointment this season, as he has been very inconsistent throughout the season, sometimes not even bringing his A game against teams with losing records such as Jacksonville and Seattle. A pair of rookie Texans–DE J.J. Watt and LB Brooks Reed–each recorded 2.5 sacks and combined for 15 solo tackles, including four TFLs (tackles for a loss) against Baltimore's passing attack.

Like I had said in my Preview for this game, the Ravens would win but they would need Ray Rice to get plenty of touches in order for them to do so. Well, he did. He carried the ball 21 times for 60 yards and caught four passes for 20 yards. Clearly he received his fair share of touches, but he wasn't very effective with the ball in his hands (2.9 Y/A, 5.0 Y/R).

I ended up only being half right about the outcome of the game: I picked the winner, but Baltimore's 20-13 victory came because of a dominating defensive effort against rookie signal caller T.J. Yates.

Overall Yates looked closer to a veteran quarterback than a rookie at times. His three interceptions were devastating and led to either BAL points or, as his last one sailed into veteran safety Ed Reed's hands, sealed the victory. Baltimore dropped numerous other possible INT's, which were simple rookie mistakes on Yates' part. But T.J. made a couple of throws that only a handful of QBs are normally able to execute.

This brings me to my next point. If you watched the first AFC matchup of the weekend then I'm sure you noticed how on point Tom Brady was with all of his throws. He was on fire, going 26/34 for 363 yards and 6 TDs with one interception. His five first half TD passes set the postseason record for most in a single half, and his six total tied the postseason record for a single game.

Denver's pass rush struggled to even lay a hand on him (two QB hits, two PDs, 0 sacks) and Brady had no trouble finding tight end Rob Gronkowski in the end zone on three different occasions.

Baltimore's pass rush is far more dangerous than that of Denver, but that doesn't mean Brady is going to turn the ball over. Flacco got his chances at putting the ball in the end zone thanks to the four turnovers his defense forced on Houston. New England, however, doesn't turn the ball over. In fact, they did that just 17 times this entire season (third-least in the league).

Say what you want about New England's porous pass defense, but they have thrived all season on forcing turnovers, much like Baltimore's D, and Flacco's offense is far more vulnerable than New England when it comes to losing the football.

Here's how you know your team is in trouble: Ed Reed made an appearance on The Blitz on SiriusXM's NFL Radio and he made it clear that the Ravens needed to step up as a team this Sunday against the Patriots. He hinted towards the idea that Joe Flacco looked a little rattled by Houston's defense, and that the offense needed to make improvements if they expected to win against New England.


Before this weekend's slate of games I had New England over Denver, Baltimore over Houston, and then Baltimore defeating the Patriots in the Championship game for a trip to the Super Bowl. But after watching New England destroy the Broncos defense with 45 points Saturday night, I may have to re-think my pick.

That's why I will be waiting until the very end of the week to make my two picks. Not only is the AFC game tough to call, but both the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers lit up the scoreboards against their respective Divisional round opponents. With my 6-2 postseason record on the line, I will be taking every second I have to re-evaluate these two match-ups.

Who do you have representing each Conference in Super Bowl XLVI?

Photo credit
Joe Flacco: Rob Carr/Getty Images
Brandon Spikes: Al Bello/Getty Images

WIS Matchup of the Day: Baltimore's Best?

You could ask just about anyone which year was the Baltimore Ravens' best, and I'm nearly certain everyone would give you the same answer: the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. It's obvious.

With a sure-fire, first ballot Hall of Famer in Ray Lewis leading arguably one of the best defenses in NFL history, it would be tough to pick against this team. The Super Bowl champs destroyed just about every offense it faced that season (recorded four shutouts in 12 regular season wins), including three straight playoff victories in which the opposing offense was held to 10 or less points.

Why, might you ask, am I bringing up the topic of the 2000 Baltimore defense? Well, in celebration of the completion of Baltimore's 15th season this past year, I decided to matchup the two teams I thought were the best in the franchise's first decade and a half.

To oppose the 2000 Ravens, I chose Joe Flacco's rookie campaign (2008), when Baltimore was one game away from another Super Bowl appearance.

Using Whatifsports.com's 'SIM Matchup' simulator, I conducted a best-of-seven series between the two teams. I will use the results from the deciding game to share with you all here today...

Billick vs. Harbaugh

Dilfer vs. Flacco

Believe it or not, this took a little longer than I thought to decide. The 2000 Ravens squad hailed in the end, as expected, but it took all seven games for them to finally pull off a convincing 20-3 victory.

The young Flacco only turned the ball over once--interception to none other than Ray Lewis--but was unable to convert in the red zone, resulting in a lone Matt Stover field goal. The older version of Stover did miss on a 45-yarder, however. But that did not effect the end result at all.

Priest Holmes put the ball in the end zone from 24 yards out early in the game, but it wasn't until the fourth quarter when the great 2000 Baltimore defense put the game away with a late fumble recovery which Chris McAlister returned 42 yards for the touchdown. A pair of field goals from the younger Stover topped off the scoring on the (2000) Baltimore sideline.

Maybe one day, Flacco, but not today.

(Note: No copyright infringement intended)

Thursday Night Football (On NFL Network) Kicks off with Heavyweight Matchup

Aside from the first week of the season in which the Vikings and Saints kicked off the season on a Thursday night, tonight is the first of several Thursday night games that will be aired on NFL Network.

The matchup between the two conferences' top teams, Baltimore Ravens (6-2; first in AFC North) and Atlanta Falcons (6-2; first in NFC South), has been anticipated for a while now. Matt Ryan vs. Joe Flacco, two third-year quarterbacks whose careers have gotten off to a quick start and have great weapons at their disposal on the offensive side of the ball. Both offenses are very similar. Baltimore has a great run game combination of the short, quick Ray Rice and the red zone presence of Willis McGahee while Atlanta has the explosive Michael Turner, a TD machine.

Baltimore clearly has the defensive advantage with Ed Reed roaming the defensive secondary. Reed, in his two games this season, has three interceptions and one forced fumble. I wouldn't expect anything less than a INT or two tonight, despite playing against the elite Matt Ryan and Roddy White.

Baltimore also has the coaching advantage with coach John Harbaugh, who is 26-14 in his third season in Baltimore. But, I think one of the biggest reasons why I have picked Baltimore to beat Atlanta tonight is because of the fact that Pro Bowl receiver Roddy White (ankle) is listed as questionable. Yes, it's very likely that he will still play, but nonetheless he will not be 100% no matter what he tells the press. Because of this, Atlanta's pass game will be exposed and Baltimore's defense is likely to take advantage of this.

Prediction: Baltimore 28, Atlanta 24

Photo Credit

Willis McGahee: AP Photo/Nick Wass